


Out of Place

by cordeliadelayne



Category: Primeval
Genre: Action/Adventure, Community: primeval_denial, Dinosaurs, Drama, Gen, Team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-07-11 20:49:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15980222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: The team have to deal with a dinosaur in the middle of Nottingham.





	Out of Place

**Author's Note:**

> Written for primeval_denial's “sense of place” month. Basically an excuse to have a dinosaur show up in Nottingham.

Martin had his phone pressed to his ear, trying to juggle that, the box of doughnuts he'd just brought from Doughnotts, and navigate his way back up the steep steps to daylight and the Market Square. So intent was he on not dropping anything and getting back to the office that he didn't spot the shiny light floating in front of the Council House until he walked into the back of one of the teenagers filming it on their phones.

“Oi, mate, watch it,” one of them snarled at him and he took a step backwards, flailing with the box in his hands.

“Sorry, sorry, I – the fuck?”

* * * * *

“I need everyone on the road as soon as possible,” Jess said over the radio. “We have a creature incursion in the centre of Nottingham. It's already hit YouTube. Identifying now...”

She squinted a little at the screen to her right. All this technology and you still couldn't make a clear video on your phone. Good for plausible deniability, less so for identifying anything that wasn't a T-Rex.

She pulled up Connor's database and set it to creature recognition in the background while she tried to listen in to what the emergency services were doing. The QMC was being put on alert to take in causalities and support was being requested from other forces in the East Midlands. She nodded to herself, satisfied that she wouldn't have to yell at anyone about the seriousness of the situation.

“Do was have an ID yet?” Becker asked. Jess could hear the slamming of doors in the background and checked the counter she had running on the screen to her left. They were four minutes behind schedule.

“Not yet. Footage is too blurry to make out details. I'm pulling up more video feeds, looking for different angles.”

“Understood.”

Jess waited a beat to see if he was going to say anything else and then frowned. It wasn't like Becker not to demand that she work faster, but Jess wasn't going to complain just yet.

* * * * *

Becker turned back to listen to what Cutter was saying, his voice rising in ever greater crescendos that beat like a hammer against his skull.

“Just because we're going prepared for the worst...” Becker started to say, only for Cutter to continue speaking right over him.

“How many times do I have to say it?”

“1,676,” Jenny said, leaning over Cutter and fastening his seatbelt for him; Becker had never seen Cutter shut up so quickly. “We're six minutes behind schedule,” she said to Becker, who knew a rescue when he saw one and started the engine. Seven minutes.

* * * * *

“What the fuck is that?” Martin asked, his doughnuts forgotten on the floor where they were trampled by fleeing pedestrians.

The bright light was pulsating and the – well, what looked like a dinosaur – was swinging its tail around, narrowly missing one of the two stone lions that guarded the entrance to the Council House and smacking down onto the steps instead.

“Is it real?” someone behind him asked.

“It can't be...”

“Watch out, it's coming this way!”

* * * * *

“According to Connor's database we're dealing with an ankylosaurus. Damage to buildings is confirmed. Some bruises and stampede injuries from the crowd. Nothing more serious so far. Ambulances are on standby just off the Market Square. You are ahead of schedule by ten minutes."

“Acknowledged,” Becker said. “Analysis of signal strength?”

“Holding steady. No sign of weakening yet. We've just passed the thirty minute mark.”

“Got it, thanks, Jess.”

Jess murmured something in response and flicked between screens. She scrolled through chatter on the internet, pulling up Facebook posts and scanning videos with one ear on the East Midlands Ambulance Service's radio. One woman had gone into labour early and Jess crossed her fingers for a moment that they weren't about to have their first fatality.

The ankylosaurus looked like it was heading away from the Council House now, moving to the end of the Market Square towards the fountains. Somebody was thirsty.

* * * * *

Jenny handed Cutter a bottle of water and he sulkily took it from her, visibly deflating under her glare.

“Aye, all right,” he said. He took a long gulp of his drink and then turned to Becker. “I'm sorry. I should have let you brief your men rather than....”

Becker turned his head slightly to see if Cutter was going to finish his sentence, and then returned to dodging around traffic on the motorway, grateful for the speeding police escort in front of him.

“Consider it forgotten,” Becker replied into the tense silence. It wasn't really, but Cutter had to take his frustrations out on someone, since Stephen was still in a coma, six months on from the creature attack.

“So,” Jenny said, “tell us what you know about the ankylosaurus.”

* * * * *

The ankylosaurus had ambled towards the sound of rushing water and was now lapping at the fountain, turning its head every so often as movement caught its eye. The police had managed to create a cordon using buses to block off roads around the Market Square and despite the obvious interest, most people were keeping a respectful distance. The most common theory was that the council were doing some sort of advertising for a dinosaur exhibition, since it clearly looked too real to be true.

“Think we're idiots, don't they?” the leader of the group of teenagers said, drawing his hand back to throw an empty can of Coke at the dinosaur's head.

“You're certainly something,” a voice said behind him, grabbing at his hand and twisting him around.

“Oi, you fucking....” He trailed off at sight of the guns and the soldiers and the seriously pissed off face staring down at him.

“Get them out of here,” Becker snapped to a nearby PC who hurried to do just that, no more keen to be around guns than the rest of them.

“Bloody fool,” Cutter muttered, none too quietly.

“Have you got this?” Jenny asked Becker, motioning towards Cutter.

“I'm a soldier, not a cat herder,” he replied.

“Learn,” Jenny responded and went off to have a word with the East Midlands Today TV crew who had just rolled up and were about to be shown the full force of the Official Secrets Act.

“What's the plan, then, Professor?” Becker asked, signalling for his team to spread themselves out. He'd already coordinated with the locals and there were snipers on several of the roofs nearby, just in case. Not that he'd mentioned that to Cutter.

“We need to get it back into the anomaly before it starts to fade,” Cutter said and then stopped, like a puppet with its strings cut.

Becker had told Lester that it was too soon for Cutter to be back at work, but god forbid anybody should listen to the man responsible for the team's safety. Instead of saying any of that though he turned to Abby and Connor who'd been in the car behind and hopefully had some actual ideas.

“Good news is it's a herbivore,” Abby said.

“Bad news is it's built like a tank,” Connor added.

“Can we lure it back through the anomaly with food?”Becker asked.

“That's what I was thinking,” Abby agreed. “In fact...” She pointed over to the balcony on the Council House. “Do you think we could rig something from there? We could swing the food down right in front of the anomaly that way and the ankylosaurus would be on its way home in no time.”

Becker nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Where are you going to get the food from?”

“The nearest zoo is probably Twycross, I''ll make some calls.” She moved off to one side to do just that, sidestepping Connor who was taking photos on his phone.

“You don't think we have enough people doing that?” Becker asked.

Connor shrugged. “This is for the database.”

“Captain Becker,” Jess' voice cut in, “can I talk to you on a private channel please?”

“Go ahead,” Becker replied, moving a little away from Connor. “What's the problem?”

“I've just had a call from UCL. Stephen's woken up.”

Becker rubbed a hand over his face. Normally that would be good news but right now. “Right.”

“Should I tell the others?”

Becker looked over to Cutter. Connor had finally got him interested in the situation and they seemed to be debating something about the ankylosaurus' tail. Right now the man was a liability, no matter where in the country he was.

“Becker? What should I do?”

It was the hesitancy in Jess' voice that brought him back to himself, normally she sounded so self-assured when they were on a job.

“Sorry, Jess. Can you tell Jenny? She can break it to Cutter, I'll deal with Abby and Connor.”

“Understood...They're still not sure about any cognitive damage,” she added.

“Yeah, I think I'll leave that part out for now," Becker replied. “Switching back to main channel.”

“Copy that.”

“All right,” Abby said, moving over to Becker. “The supplies are on their way by police escort.”

“Great, thanks Abby. Jess, how's the signal strength?”

“Still holding steady. No signs of deterioration.”

“All right, we need to get inside the building to the balcony.” He looked around him and pointed at a man in a suit Jenny was remonstrating with. “Whose that?”

“Head of building security,” Abby said.

“Great, Jenny,” he called out, “we need to get in the building.”

“I'm sure Mr Riley here will be happy to help.”

Riley glared at her and Becker wondered what had set that off but decided in the greater scheme of things that he didn't really care.

“We need access to the balcony.”

“Not a problem. As long as you don't think that thing is going to charge at us.”

They all took a look at the ankylosaurus. For the moment it seemed perfectly happy to wade in the water.

“We move quickly and quietly.”

* * * * *

In the end Becker, Abby and Mr Riley went inside with Connor on standby to help bring up the food when it arrived. Riley charged up the marble steps inside the entrance way and Becker took a moment to marvel at the cupola ceiling before following him along the corridor into what was obviously a ballroom with art deco light fixtures hanging down and then over to the balcony doors which Riley very carefully opened. Once out on the balcony they could see the anomaly still shining brightly just below them, and the ankylosaurus who looked to Becker liked he'd perked up considerably and was planning his next move.

“How much longer till the food arrives?”

“Ten minutes,” Jess said. “The police helicopter has been authorised to land at the Arboretum nearby.”

“Lester?”

“He might have had a word. He's currently off site,” she added.

Becker sighed. That meant he'd gone to see Stephen at the hospital.

“Off site?” Abby asked.

“Right, yeah. There's something I need to tell you.”

* * * * *

Jess' estimate was accurate as usual and a truck carrying what no doubt passed for a reasonable dinosaur's veggie snack pulled alongside the road next to the Council House where Connor and Jenny unloaded it with the help of several uniformed police officers. The ankylosaurus was definitely taking a keener interest in proceedings and turned away from the water and started slowly ambling back towards the building.

“We need to move,” Becker instructed.

“I'm ready as soon as they are,” Abby replied. Her mind still half stuck on Stephen she'd managed to jury rig an oversized fishing line using bits and pieces she'd found lying around the offices so all she needed was the food and she'd be ready to go. Becker ran down towards the entrance to greet the others and help carry the food upstairs. There was a splintering sound outside and Becker knew without looking that part of the square was now lying in pieces.

“This weighs a ton,” Connor said, buckling under the weight of his load and marvelling slightly as Becker grabbed it from him and hefted it over his shoulder as if it was lighter than air.

“Abby could do with some help,” Becker told him. “Do you need a hand?” he asked Jenny as Connor ran up the stairs two at a time.

“I've got it, you go,” Jenny said. She wasn't quite as red faced as Connor was but she was still feeling the burn even though she managed to keep up with Becker at a trot, grateful that she no longer wore heels on the job.

When they reached the balcony Abby was already hard at work, ordering a compliant Connor about. They'd borrowed several desks and chairs to act as a weight while they started to lower the first load of food out over the balcony.

“It's interested in the truck,” Abby said. Becker and Jenny moved to stand next to her and peered down. The ankylosaurus did indeed look more interested in the food left in the truck than in the food they were trying to dangle in its way.

“We could ask the truck to move?” Connor suggested.

Becker was shaking his head before Connor had even finished. “Too risky. It might follow it into the rest of the city and then we'd be back at square one. Try hitting it to get its attention.”

Abby turned to look at Becker. “You try swinging this thing and aiming,” she said.

It was then that Becker noticed that she'd donned hard wearing looking gloves to protect against rope burns and that she was struggling to keep herself on the right side of the balcony.

“Right,” he said, hurrying to help. “If you er – just, um...” He tried to work out where to put his hands and whether standing pressed against her back was really the best way of doing this.

“For god's sake,” Abby muttered. She ducked under the rope until she was on the other side, leaving Becker with room on the right to grab hold of the rope and brace himself against the balcony railing.

“On two,” he said and Abby nodded. Connor stepped up behind her and did a similar dance as Becker until she forcefully grabbed his hands and put them on the rope where she wanted them.

“One,” Abby said.

“Two,” Becker said.

“I should have worn gloves,” Connor said.

Becker and Abby ignored him and slowly started a swinging motion. After a few seconds the lowest branch of leaves was skimming the ankylosaurus' head. A few seconds more and it twisted it's head, as if batting away a fly. They kept it up, Becker really beginning to feel the strain in his lower back when finally the ankylosaurus turned around and took a bite of food.

All three of them were so surprised at the force of his teeth ripping at the leaves that they nearly went tumbling over the balcony, only saved by the sudden appearance of Jenny and Cutter who grabbed at them and the rope, pulling them away from the edge.

“You need to swing it towards the anomaly,” Cutter said and Becker bit back a retort about stating the bleeding obvious but only because he wasn't sure he had the breath in him right then.

“What's an anomaly?” Riley asked from somewhere behind them but Jenny shushed him quiet.

“Keep up the momentum,” Cutter directed, patting Becker on the shoulder.

Becker started composing his resignation letter in his head. He wouldn't send it, but it kept his blood pressure under control at times like these.

“Shift over a little to the left,” he told Abby and Connor and they did so, the rope now swinging more easily and the ankylosaurus seeming to have finally realised that if it wanted to eat it was going to have to move.

“The anomaly's weakening,” Jess' voice cut in. “Sudden drop to 70% strength. 60%. 40%. If you're going to get it home you need to do it now.”

“Damn it,” Becker said. “Come on, move will you.”

It seemed like an age before they managed to get the food to swing into the anomaly, several times appearing and disappearing like a magic trick. Finally, as Jess told them that strength was down to 30% the ankylosaurus ambled through and suddenly the anomaly was gone, taking their visitor with it.

Abby, Connor and Becker slumped down as one onto the floor of the balcony. Becker's legs felt like jelly and he knew he had blisters all over his hands. But at least Nottingham was still standing.

“Good job,” Jenny said. The bell above started to chime, alerting them to the fact that it was now one o'clock.

“Time for lunch,” Connor said, though he didn't look capable of moving just then.

“I'll see if any of the local restaurants are feeling charitable,” Jenny said. “But first, Cutter, can I have a word?”

* * * * *

“Emergency Services are standing down,” Jess said. “I'll add the site to the Watch List and plot it on Cutter's matrix. Do you have an ETA for your return?”

“About an hour or so,” Becker replied. “I'm going to drop the others off at the hospital to see Stephen on the way back.”

“Understood. You did good today.”

Becker smiled. What he really wanted was a nice long hot shower and maybe a pint of something with Jess, if she was willing.

“You were great too,” he told her, very aware that they weren't on a private channel.

“How were the casualties?” Jenny asked.

“Nothing too serious in the end. One sprained ankle and some minor cuts and abrasions. Oh, and I almost forgot, that lady who went into labour early, successfully delivered of a healthy baby girl. They'll both be monitored in the hospital for a while but the prognosis is looking good....” She paused and they could hear the smile in her voice as she continued. “They actually asked me for name suggestions.”

Becker had a very bad feeling about this. “Jess, what did you do?”

“Hilary Jessica Wilson has a lovely ring to it, doesn't it?”

Becker groaned. It was going to be a very long drive home.  



End file.
